NBSP lauds UL students

The director for the National Blood Safety Program or NBSP Madam Lwopu M. Bruce has lauded students of the University of Liberia for supporting the blood safety awareness since 2013.

According to Director Bruce, the students’ role has been to educate people not to be afraid to donate blood, even if a donor’s blood level is not encouraging. According to her, a person should have a blood level of 12.5 gram in order to be a donor.

She said people in Liberia with such blood level are encouraged to begin donating blood, noting many persons were dying from blood shortage due to lack of donors. She said the campaign stopped since 2013 mainly as a result of the Ebola crisis between 2014 and 2015, but assured that it will resume very soon.

The NBSP boss indicated that in 2013, with the help of students of the University of Liberia, the public donated 311 units of blood. She said whenever a person donates blood, he or she must be refreshed with water, milk, juices and fruits to regain strength, clarifying there is no side-effect in donating blood.

She added that blood receives from donors are tested for so many sicknesses and diseases before being transfused to sick persons or patients, and the NBSP stores the blood in a refrigerator. According her, the program was established in 2009 to provide safe, sufficient and timely supply of blood and blood-related products for patients requiring transfusion.

Director Bruce also disclosed the exercise was meant to transition from paid donors to voluntary donors, saying since its establishment, 38 major hospitals have benefited.  

By Ethel A. Tweh